- 201
Carstian Luyckx
Estimate
25,000 - 35,000 GBP
Log in to view results
bidding is closed
Description
- Carstian Luyckx
- A vanitas still life with a skull, a violin, a musical score, a pipe and tobacco, an hourglass and a candle on a draped table
- inscribed on the musical score: Secunda pars. 4 voc. / ORLANDE / E miferum quate tandem re / ue fequanperte quondam mihi vi. ta place / cum moenibus. vrbes. Et populi laeteque
- oil on canvas
- 25 5/8 x 21 1/4 inches
Provenance
Comtesse d'Origny;
Anonymous sale ("The Property of a Lady of Title"), New York, Christie's, 29 January 1999, lot 93 (as Renard de Saint-André), where acquired by the present collector.
Anonymous sale ("The Property of a Lady of Title"), New York, Christie's, 29 January 1999, lot 93 (as Renard de Saint-André), where acquired by the present collector.
Exhibited
Paris, Galerie Alfred Daber, Natures mortes françaises, 9 April - 6 May 1959, cat. no. 11 (as Renard de Saint-André).
Condition
The painting appears somewhat lighter, brighter and 'sharper' than the catalogue illustration. The canvas has a relatively old relining. The paint surface appears somewhat pressed (perhaps as a result of the relining?) and this is apparent particularly in the green cloth and the slightly thinning browns of the left background.There are some small paint losses in the red curtain upper right and on the green tablecloth lower centre and lower right. Further areas of incipient lifting can be seen in both the red curtain and the green cloth; although these areas currently appear to be stable they should be attended to. The still-life elements have generally survived well and there is a good preservation of detail. Inspection under ultra-violet light is partially impeded by the varnish layer but some old retouchings occur in the red curtain and on the hourglass, as well as a few on the musical score and some minor touches on the skull.
TheFrench(?) 18th-century elaborately carved and gilt wood frame has a number of chips and losses throughout but is structurally sound.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."
Catalogue Note
Formerly attributed to Renard de Saint-André, this intriguing vanitas has recently been restored to the oeuvre of Carstian Luyckx by Fred G. Meijer of the R.K.D. The confusion in attribution is understandable: Saint-André was active in Paris, and Luyckx is thought to have moved to France in the 1650s. Paintings executed in the same spirit include a still life sold New York, Christie's, 23 May 2001, lot 11 in which the same deep red velvet cloth dominates the background.
Delicately draped off the edge of the table, the music, which appears fairly accurately transcribed, contains a single vocal part of a religious Latin choral composition, with the text specifically relating to death. The inscription on the musical score probably refers to the 16th-century composer Orlande de Lassus (1532-1594), and the style of printing is similar to works published in Venice and elsewhere in the middle of the sixteenth century.
Delicately draped off the edge of the table, the music, which appears fairly accurately transcribed, contains a single vocal part of a religious Latin choral composition, with the text specifically relating to death. The inscription on the musical score probably refers to the 16th-century composer Orlande de Lassus (1532-1594), and the style of printing is similar to works published in Venice and elsewhere in the middle of the sixteenth century.